Whistler Dining with Kids: Local’s Favourite Spots

Feet Banks

5 years ago

Let’s not beat around the bush: taking young children out for dinner can be an incredibly challenging experience. For sure, having kids is awesome and family meals are a very important time, but working as a waiter for 12 years and going on five now as a parent myself I’ve also witnessed levels of dinner table savagery and chaos that would make any grandmother cringe. When it comes to young kids and restaurants sometimes you get lucky, other times…not so much.

Thankfully, Whistler has so many incredible outdoor activities and such a variety of family fun that young kids can often be very tuckered out and docile by the time dinner rolls around. But you can never count on that, so The Insider polled a bunch of local Whistler parents for advice and came up with a few great suggestions.

Of course, the list below is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dining in Whistler. From hot dog stands to horizon-broadening ethnic spots, this place is full of great eating spots that are more than happy to serve your kids. The best bet is always to just let your tastebuds lead the way.

So good luck, have fun and you can get all kinds of useful info on a family holiday here at Whistler.com.

Whistler Locals’ Favourites: Family Dining

El Furniture Warehouse

Whistler Village

Relatively new on the Whistler dining scene “El Furny” is an instant hit with families because all meals are just $4.95 and the atmosphere is fun and casual. El Furniture Warehouse is also co-owned by local ski and snowboard pros and staffed by a lot of longtime local servers which can mean a bit of a rowdier and louder scene after 7 PM, but it also means older kids might get a chance to sit next to one of their ski/snowboard heroes.

The Brewhouse

Whistler Marketplace

The fact that it has five in-house beers on tap will sell The Brewhouse for a lot of people but other assets include lots of kid-approved menu options and a large sunny patio right beside Whistler Olympic Plaza that makes it possible to watch the kids as they play near the Olympic Rings.

Sushi

Everywhere

Whistler has been a sushi hotspot for close to 30 years now which means there is a whole generation of kids who grew up here eating sushi that are now taking their own offspring out for fresh rolls and perfect finger food. Whistler has more than a half dozen excellent sushi spots to choose from but local parents definitely have some favourites.

Pasta Lupino Main Street

One of Whistler’s longtime locals’ favourite lunch spots, Pasta Lupino’s homemade, in-house pasta here is also popular with kids. It’s only a 19-seat bistro and they don’t have highchairs but the staff is more than happy to offer take out so you can eat wholesome pasta anywhere you choose.

Creekbread

Whistler Creekside

Kids love pizza and they are also easily enthralled by fire so Creekbread’s giant wood-fired pizza ovens are pretty much always a hit (so are chefs tossing pizza dough in the air). This place is large enough to accommodate big families with multiple strollers and the pizza is some of the best in town. If you’re planning a late dinner best bet is to call ahead as Creekbread hosts monthly fundraisers for various local charities and it can get hopping busy in there at times.